


Grayson, I'm gonna help you with the case

by lizzspeedy



Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: AU, Break Up, Cop AU, F/M, Family Feels, Reunion, alternative universe, partners
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-12-24 06:48:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21095183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzspeedy/pseuds/lizzspeedy
Summary: Some people never seem to let the darkness out. Over the shadows where it belongs, people use to hide in its place.But darkness, without a controller, is nothing but a state of mind.Cop!AUWhen Dick and Kory meet each other again after six years in a painful breakup.





	1. 001;

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting these corrected caps. love yall! <3  
huge thanks to my dear VanessaNisaacs <3 ur the best, Nessa!

The department seemed restless than normal on that day. The crowd fades in with curious eyes on someone who had just entered. Dick, however, did not share such enthusiasm.

It was not his personality to be so communicative. Sooner or later the work would have to be done, so he did not crave fellowship as much as his other colleagues. Donna Troy was by far the only exception, his best friend since ... well, ever.

Officer Mison approached his desk with a stack of papers in his hand and a not-so-encouraging look.

''Grayson'' said the man in front of him. ''I have something for you! '' he pulled a pen from his pocket right after. Dick straightens his stance before walking to him.

''14 years old, hair dyed in an extravagant shade of purple, black clothes, and gothic boots. The classic type of teenager from the last decade. Think you can handle this?''  
''Sure.''

There was something else in his gaze, Mison realized that.  
''Look, kiddo, I've been working with you since you arrived on the department, never left me down in all these years, it won't be a small mistake that will put you under my concern. I still think you need to slow down, follow the easy way, take a few weeks off and relax...''

''I can't relax. Not while he's still on the streets hurting innocent people. Innocent kids who have nothing to do with his filthy business. '' Said Dick, the anger in his voice rising.

Mison gave a comforting squeeze in his shoulders. ''I know, kid. That's what you always do, but I can't let you go through it knowing that you will take it personally. Sorry.''

Dick took a deep breath as he pulled the papers from Mison's hand in silence, perhaps the man was right and he shouldn't go after Tony Zucco in the first place. Yet, he knew his fury could go far beyond his judgment.

Just as it happened before.

''And Dick'' yells the older cop ''You have a new partner waiting for you. Meeting up in five minutes.''

He should not.

The words clanged like a mantra in his head.

All he could think of at the moment was how his hands would feel around Tony Zucco's neck, the man who took everything from him, begging for mercy as he took every last breath of his life.

He could not.

Dick never wanted to kill his parent's murderer as much as he did now, not even when he went to live with Clay after the death of his parents. He was sure he could kill Zucco if he wanted to, but he didn't know if the risk was valid.

His heart was beating in a frantic and absurd rhythm, his whole body was boiling and his fist was locked so that his knuckles were whitened.

It was crazy, bitter and sick. It seemed appropriate, though.

He spent most of his life running, either was from his past or for what he would become in the future. Time is still ticking away and he knew that stop before the deadline was not an option. He’s lost a lot: his parents, his family at the Circus and even Clay. The only person he had left after his parents died.

Grayson got taken off from his thoughts by one of his co-workers knocking against the office door. There was a commission going on at the hall, and his superior, Mison, had requested his presence; a long time ago.  
He put his hands in his pockets and joined the room, spreading through the crowd. In the main lobby, dozens of people applauded the department's superior speech. Dick just stood and clapped like the others.

He narrowed on the crowd before one of his partners crushed him by the shoulder.

"Dude, you're late!" Hank said as he made his entrance among the other people. ''Your partner has been waiting for you for half an hour.''

Half an hour.  
Holy shit.

Hank stopped abruptly to pull him before he bumped into a breakfast tray.  
''That was close'' Hank pointed before staring at him ''Are you okay, man?''

''Yes.''

''You seem to be extra far from here right now.''

He brushed the hair off his forehead with a little wave of his head ''Just figuring some shit out, nothing much.''

''Is that about your investigation?''

''You can say so.'' He said without any more buts.

Hank looked him up and down considering he wouldn't tell anything. The knowing on his gaze was clear. 

''Alright, I have to need to go now so keep walking to the main corridor. She'll be there. Take care, man.’’ With that, Hank said goodbye with a quick nod before rushing to one of his “thousands” of appointments ’

Dick stared at everyone in the lobby. He noticed no apparent difference until a uniformed policeman unblocked his vision at the magenta-haired woman who was facing the counter.

He hurried over to her as she turned. She was wearing a purple suit and high heels, combined with a pair of fancy-sized sunglasses.

''You must be my-''

His own words fell he saw when he saw the woman's eyes in front of him for the first time: dark and bright green eyes combined with a deep and dark skin tone, both dazzling.

"Detective ... Grayson." the woman said as she checked him from head to toe, and then looked away, clearly affected.

He could not believe what his eyes were seeing.

It was her.

''Hi.''

''Hi.''

They stared at each other for a few seconds before she slung her backpack over her shoulder. He could pick it up, but he was afraid of ruining it all again.

''Can you show me the path to the... you know...'' She said locking her arms on her waist ''The office.''

He took the front, so they walked in a deadly silence thought the corridor, eyes focused on the floor and heart going crazy inside the chest.

They got into the room quietly, biting lips and fists closed, looking at the ceiling.

They settled down on the two chairs separated by a long-ass table without looking at each other, their eyes crossed up the room but to one another.

''Look, I wouldn't have accepted it if I knew who 'Detective Grayson' was.''

The sentence made him frown.

''I'm sorry I walked into your life again.'' Her voice didn't break, even tho she was not paying much attention to hiding her unhappiness.

He lost the count of how many times he thought about calling her, every day and every night, every birthday and every time he walked into the empty bed covered by gray scented sheets. He missed her more than he could believe and standing here so close to her didn't even seem to be true, he didn't even care if it was a hallucination if he could stay with her a little bit more.

This time, Dick wanted it to last.

He was about to protest but she interfered:

''I think we should focus on the case, we don't know how many times we got and the girl is still missing and in danger'' she said while she opened her backpack and picked up a laptop.  
''Cops get to talk to her but she barely stayed, ran away two hours after she was rescued and fooled seven cops in the span of a night.'' She typed something else on her laptop as she settled down ''She's good.''

''Heard that her mother was murdered.''

''The mother was killed right in front of her'' She confirmed, biting her lips as she always did when she didn't allow herself to say something. Their eyes met for the first time since they arrived at the office and somehow her expression changed, like when he couldn't sleep and she stood up the whole night.

It was cold.  
Even tho she was fire, a spotlight.

Her phone lightens up in a silent voice call, her smile grow a little bigger after seeing the young green-haired boy in the small screen, she took a moment to get out of the office and pick up the phone.  
''I gotta take this one, sorry.'' She said before running out of the room.

''Hey! Have you arrived home yet?''  
''KORY, HELP ME OUT!''

Her facial expression changed as she heard the screams on the other side of the screen. 

''What happened?!''

''I burnt the carrots of the vegan lasagna I was trying to cook AND I can't see anything above the house right now. There's a terrifying black cloud all of the apartment.'' He said as he screamed at the fire alarm ''I'm sorry!''

''It's okay, Gar, calm down!''

''Can you come home sooner today?''

She thought about her choices of staying at the department if she ran away on her first day. She had a kid to feed.  
''Look...'' She said as she tried to reassure him ''Call Cliff, the apartment manager, he's always at his place, number twenty-five at the left. You can call an uber and come to see me at work today, I'll be paying dinner out.''

''Vegan?'' The boy genuinely asked on the other side of the call.

''Vegan... To you. I'm having my pork pizza today either if you like it or not.''

She could hear his fake groans while he spoke. ''Bye, Kory. Love you!''

''Love you too!'' 

She headed back to Dick trying to keep inside the smile on her face.

''Have you find out something else?'' She asked with a soft voice that made his spine freeze.

''Um, Y-yeah. Yeah.'' 

''And what is it then?''

''She's on Cordelia Falls, gladly is not in another state, not so far from here... But it's gonna take us five or six hours on a trip.''

She linked her lips with her teeth before tinkling it. 

Kory could get called of anything, but she was not an unprofessional person. She was not gonna quit that for tomorrow knowing she could do that today.  
By the way she had Gar, coming here with all his grace and playful youth ness to pay all of her attention since she had anyone else to trust him to.

''Okay.''

''We're doing this?'' Dick asked.

''Yeah. I guess we are.''

2013  
July 1st, Chicago.

''Turn it off,'' Kory said while she covered a pillow in the top of her head.

Yet, no response.

The tapping of mobile electronic advice was a bit irritating if you can tell. It gets even worse at three AM, no sleeping and extremely fast fingers working harder every second.

''What are you doing?'' She inquired.

''Just... dealing with something.'' He said. 

''Go get some sleep, you're gonna get late.''

''I never get late.'' He controverted.

''Oh. But you assume that there are two cops on this bed, right? One of them needs to get asleep. She said with a joky face.

He shakes his head to that and kept focus in his lection. 

''I'm just reading.''

''Can you read somewhere else?'' She wasn't even asking anymore, that was a beg.

Kory rolled on the blankets, trying the best she could to get rid of the sharp light running through her face.

''Can you at least turn off the light a bit, please?'' 

''Sure,'' Dick said while he turned them off a bit, so she could chill out a little. His fingers weren't helping at all tho, due to another metamorphose of taps on the keyboard of his laptop.

''Goddammit!'' She said sitting in the middle of the bed, turning to him. ''Will you stop it?''  
  
''Okay! I will, I'm done.'' He said placing the laptop on the empty nightstand, raising his hands in false redemption. ''I'm sorry.''

She looked less furious now, but she was still angry, he could feel it.

''What was that?'' She inquired.

''I was just reading.''

She shrugged, lowering her tone. ''I don't see you making a whole paragraph as notes in your books. What were you typíng for?''

''Notes. Just to remember some stuff I've been working with.''

Convinced, she placed her head on the pillow again, turning to him. 

Kory has stared at him like this lately, like if she knew something was wrong and willing him to deny it.  
  
''What?''

''Nothing, is just... are you alright?''

''Yes, perfect. Why the question?''

She looked back to him with her huge green orbits that perfectly matched with her darkened pink lips. 

''Nothing. Go sleep.'' She said before she kissed him softly and turned back to sleep.

He couldn't sleep.   
As he couldn't lately.  
All the time worried, all the time looking for some difference and every time trying to have eyes on her. They have been together for around six months now, he asked her to move to his place after a month and a long history about how she lost her apartment keys so weirdly. It wasn't like he hasn't made up with other people, haven't dated or even lived together. He did, but she was different. Different in a way he'd never seen before: mysterious, fearless, too hot to touch and completely out of his league. He knew it.  
The last thing he wanted was to lose her, she was the light of his days, the one person in the world he was risking everything to stay with, the person he would die and kill for.

He didn't have a choice tho.

  
So for the last days he just stared at her, watching her sleep and how her chest got up and down due to her cardiac frequency. Her hair was pretty dark, glowy and straight, never messed up even when she changed sides for the eighty time in one single night, it was becoming a routine that he was not ready to give up of. 

He didn't have a choice.

''I'm sorry.'' He mumbled when he kissed the back of her head in her sleep.

  
The sound of the streetcars deafens his ears as he got into the hangar, full of race cars and motorcycles he couldn't even imagine how expensive it was.

He waited at the place that to him was told, unquietly stamping feet on the floor and checking his clock all the time.

It couldn't be the wrong place, those people would not have a reason to fool him. He knew it.

His cardiac frequency accelerated in a way it never had before when he watched Tony Zucco stepping the way to him, his breathing was cough on his throat and his heart was about to explode. He felt both humiliated and angry at the same time, the fact that he couldn't do anything instead of waiting quietly was freaking him out. He always dreamt about this day, since he was twelve, it might not be how he wished it to be but that wasn't the point at the moment.

''Phillip.'' Tony Zucco raised his hand to a compliment ''It is a pleasure to finally meet you.''

He took his hands off his pocket and raised both of his hands, grabbing Zucco's. ''Nice to meet you too.''

''What about your dad, how is he?'' Zucco asked while he opened a champagne bottle. 

''He's... Getting better after the accident, but he'll be okay.'' 

Dick knew very well that subtracting another person's identity was outlaw, but what Zucco used to do was not at the ledge of law anyway.

He gave him a fancy glass and pointed the bottle to him. He refused to take.

''Come on, Kiddo. Have a shot.''

Dick shook his head and served himself with the white sparkle drink.   
  
''So... why are you here, kid?'' 

''Came to get my father's folder. He asked me not to sound weird but after everything you did for our family...'' He stopped, swallowing the knot of his throat and smiling awkwardly to the old man in front of him ''We don't need your services anymore.''

He made sure the one guy he was about to take the identity was a big one, a rich guy. Not billionaire, but a very rich owner of a farm in the North of California. Have searched everything about him for the last two years to get enough of him, make sure he had someone out of Zucco's sight, becoming friends with his associates, getting to know every single step he'd give to get the perfect performance. 

Turns out the rich, wise and old man from California was a drug-addicted and ambitious predator ready to get in line with anyone that interrupted his business. That's what Zucco did to him.

Zucco seemed to be very surprised by his words. 

''Oh. That wasn't what I was expecting. He turned giving Dick his back. ''Thought your father would need extra help from now. He got shot.''

''Yeah, but we already got the guy. It was an old worker of the farm, typical revenge to the boss. I made sure to show him how to end someone on my own.'' Dick said.

Zucco gave him an appreciative look. ''You're good at it, boy. Have you ever thought about having more than what your father can offer?'' He asked as he tapped the black motorcycle on his front ''Doing this kind of shit gives you a lot more than you imagine.'' 

Dick shakes his head.

''I already have my own thing.''

Zucco snorted. 

  
''You know what?'' He stepped closer to Dick with the bottle in his hand, drinking it on the bottleneck. ''I think that your father did a great job with you, raising you far from all this crazy shit from around here, but...''

He stopped behind Dick, pointing the metal material on the top of his neck, fingers on the trigger.

''You never seemed to learn.'' He said dryly, holding his shoulder. ''Go back, live your miserable life as you should have a long time ago, get a decent job and move the fuck on. Wouldn't that be nice?''

He wasn't processing anything at the moment, he wasn't even listening to him. His vision went numb and his brain froze.

''And don't even let me get started with your girlfriend... Kory Anders, it that it?'' 

''If you get one step close to her I swear-''

''Easy,'' Zucco said, taking Dick's gun out of his back left pocket. ''It was just an advice.''

Zucco finally turned back to him. ''Go home. If I see you get a step on here again I won't have to buy a ticket to kill a Grayson again.'' Zucco said as he started to walk away.  
-

He drove back home as fast as he could and he was still asking himself about how did Zucco know Kory.

Dick wasn't the kind of social media person, he only had a profile on Facebook he hadn't logged in for years. They used to go to the department in different schedules and his place was far from the other apartments and housing communities on there.

How could the plan go wrong? He worked at it for years, non-stopping, just to get to face the man who ruined his life but he just messed things up.

He opened the door with regret sinking his chest and walked to the kitchen.

''Kory?'' He called taking off his jacket.

No answers.

He walked through the other rooms and yet, no answer. 

He rushed his phone to call her when he felt a hand on his neck. 

''Kory?'' He genuinely called the woman in front of him.

''I was seeing what I could make in the garden. Those birds messed up with my all plants.''

He finally took a deep breath. 

He was looking at her again, staring. 

''Dick, are you okay?'' She asked him.

He didn't answer, instead of that he cupped his hands over her face and pulled her closer to him, seizing her lips up to him with an urge movement. He touched her waist, the way up to her neck and her hair, having every inch of her body locked on his. 

She broke the kiss with a hand of his chest breathing heavily and with an unstable heart-beating.

''You're back earlier.'' She finally said. 

He smiled with his arms on both of her sides, pulling her closer.

''What was the kiss for?''

''I was just... missing you.'' 

It was true. 

''You'd be lost without me, Dick Grayson.'' She said as she grabbed his jaw and kissed him softly. 

003; PAYPHONE  
Present-day  
Sept. 6th, Detroit.

"We're leaving now?''

'' Yes, technically I was thinking of not calling reinforcements for now. In all the other times where she ran away the cops were in a group. Maybe she was just scared. '' He concluded.

Kory nodded as she looked at the disconnected cell phone on the table.

''Are you busy right now? I can go alone if you want. Not a problem. ''

''No. I'm not. '' She answered '' And if you forgot, this is a joint investigation, on the contrary, you wouldn't have asked for a partner.''

He clenched his jaw at the response, she was right that he wasn't much of a partnership person but saying that on his face wouldn't help him to get any better at it.

"We'll be out in ten minutes," he said.

''I need to make sure of something first, so when I'm done I'll let you know.'' She said and walked to the office door where she came across a boy with green hair and matching clothes.

''Hi, Kor! are you already out?'' He said with a little bit of enthusiasm.

''Hey.'' She said with a smile on her face. '' I was already going to pick you up. ''

''So when are we getting outta here? ''

  
She looked back at the office and turned to Garfield, lowering her voice. ''Actually, we will have to reschedule. I have something very important to work out that I may not be able to wait until' tomorrow. Sorry.'' she said with a sad smile.

''No. It's fine.'' He said while a soft smile and looked up to her shoulders, staring at the man lying in a chair on the office. ''Who's the guy?''

''Nobody.''

He raised an eyebrow.

''What?''

''Nobody?''

Kory knew a lot of things about Gar and one of them is that he could track a liar whenever he wanted to. 

She pulled a hand on his shoulders and closed the door behind her. 

''Alright. Do you want the truth?'' 

He raised an eyebrow in a silent nod.

''It's him,'' Her voice kind of vacillating ''It's Dick.''

He wasn't connecting it at all, she could tell by the way he rotated his head to the left with his eyes barely closing. Oh boy.

Before she could open her mouth to explain he jumped out of place to grab her arms and get her out of people's sight. 

''You're telling me you're working with your ex that used to live like a thousand miles from here?!'' He asked in a surprisingly exciting voice tone. ''How is that even possible?''

She sigh. ''Not miles, This isn't a Tove Lo song. And it ain't happening anything for you to be so excited about.''

''But it might do.''

''Gar, don't...''

''C'mon, Kory. I saw all the hidden pictures you refused to throw away in the cabinet of your office at home, all the pen drives with the most random kind of record, even that fancy clock with messy writing in its inside.''

She stares at him with a quizzical gaze, ''How did you know about it?''

''Which part of it?'' He asks, flipping his ring in the air. He got used to wearing those since Kory had one in almost each one of her fingers. 

''The clock. How did you know about it?'' She inquired.

He raised his eyebrow again, looking at anywhere else far from her face. ''Well, this is a... complicated answer.''

''Cut the bullshit, Gar. How did you find it?'' .'' She said with an inquisitive look, raising her voice tone a little.

''You let that fall on your bedroom floor before going to our morning walk.'' 

''Garfield!''

''Okay.'' He confessed, raising his hands. ''I was messing with your stuff again.'' 

She groaned.

''I told you not to,'' Kory said. ''You promised you'd stop doing that.'' 

''I know, Kory, I'm sorry. But you were extra sad a couple of months ago and I thought that if I investigated something might show up. I was just trying to make you feel a Lil' bit better, that's all.''

''That's why you brought me to that chocolate festival for the weekend.'' She said in knowing.

''Yeah.'' He said with a sad smile.

Her stomach fell in disgust for threatening Gar like that. She never yelled at him or made him confess stuff by personating him, that was something she promised not to do when he got in her life, their relationship has always been filled with love and caring, protection and respect. Gar brought to light and happiness to her when she couldn't find a way to make it, she loved that guy with her entire heart.

''I'm sorry.'' She said as she offered her arms for him to hug. ''I'm sorry for everything I just said. It's just-''

He embraced her in a tight, warm hug. ''It's okay, Kor. There's nothing for you to be sorry about.''

''I didn't mean to accuse or scare you, today was just... too stressful.''

''I know.'' He said. ''It's okay, you have work to do. I get it.'' And Gar was trying his best to show her some comfort by his words.

''Are you sure?'' She asked again.

''Yes, I'm sure. I'll be waiting for you here.''

''No,'' Kory said softly. ''You can't stay here the whole night and I don't know when I'm coming back. I'm gonna call a friend and see if she can pick you up and maybe get some veggie for dinner.'' 

She passed him a 100 dollar bill. 

''Oh.'' He waved with the bill in his hands. ''Is it my birthday already?''

She giggled.

''Um... Kory?'' The man behind Gar called stepping to her. ''Are you ready?''

''In a minute.'' She said pulling her phone out of the pocket. ''I gotta make a phone call.''

''Calling who?'' Gar asked grabbing his phone.

She looked at him then Dick.

''Babysitter.'' 

''Oh,'' Gar said. ''I'll make that for you, no worries.''  
  
She stared at him weirdly before she realized what he was trying to do.

''Alright, then.''

Gar coughed. ''Um... imma head out.'' He said taking a quick look at Dick Grayson's face and running out of the corridor.

Dick opened his mouth as if he was going to said something but kept the silence in the room.

'''So... I think we must go.'' She said looking at the white - kind of dirty - floor of the corridor.

Avoid the danger, girl.

''Right.'' 

  
They walked into Dick's car, it was a black SVU that gave justice to his personality, all it needed more was to have his name painted on it. He settled in his position in the front seat to open the door in front of her. They both put the seat belt on and he took the front in the direction.

There was nothing much to talk, they would get to the girl and get back safe and sound, that's all.   
Kory felt his eyes on her most of the time, she knew he was looking and just kept the view in the window and the cellphone screen, even tho it was out of signal. 

''So...'' He started. ''Who is the boy?''

''Garfield?'' She asked.

''Yeah, the one in the corridor later.''

Kory chuckled. ''It's complicated to define who he is...''

''Then what is he?''

She stared at him and then locked her eyes in the view. ''He's someone I met. Someone really important to me...'' it's all you have to know.''

Dick's words died in his mouth in the exact moment she got said that drily and if he could tell, a little broken. ''Okay.'' He said and stared at the direction again.  
She crossed her arms and brushed the hair off her face.

''If it helps for you to remember, he made everything go back to its places.''

**D&K**

** _2013_ **   
** _July 7th._ **

Kory gave Dick a sort of space in the last days, he ain't acting normal and she wondered what the real problem was.  
9 missing calls, no answer.  
He was freaking her out.  
She picked the phone again, staring at the glowy screen where the lock screen was a picture of a drunk Dick Grayson sleeping on Donna's couch from a couple of os months before they were together. Kory giggled in the way he was weirdly laid with his arms in a huge giraffe pillow. Things seemed to be easier on those days.

She jumped from her seat with the sound of the door opening.

''Dick!'' she walked to him in a rush, embracing his arms. ''Do you have any idea of how worried I was?''

''I know, I know... I'm sorry.'' He said, interlacing their fingers together. ''Things got complicated and the are some stuff I had to do.''

Her gaze met the dried blood in the cut on his neck, which she knew he tried his best to clean.

''I know you're worried, I'm sorry.''

''Are you?'' She asked drily. ''Plus, those seven letters is all you know how to say now?'' 

He sighed and crossed his arms, looking for an answer to give.  
There was none. 

She had the right to be mad at him, he lied to her several times from now and vanished almost every night after she slept.

''Kory...''

''No!'' She walked around the kitchen of their apartment. ''If you're gonna start lying again you better not do.''

He made his way behind her but she kept moving.

''I don't understand why you keep giving me fake answers when all I needed was you to talk with me. You know I'm here for you always, don't you?''

''I do.''

''So why don't you tell me what's going on?''

He couldn't read her face at the moment, she didn't look mad anymore but she didn't hold back her frown.

''Okay.''

''Okay?'' She turned to look at him.

''Yeah, after all you deserve to know.'' He said.

She nodded and picked a chair closer to him to sit.

''So...?''

At the moment he opened his mouth his phone ringed in his pocket. 

''I gotta take this one.'' Dick did a pout. ''Sorry.'' 

He said rushing to the door handle.

''Dick!''

''Meet me at eight on that Bistro you love.''

''Dick, come on!'' She groaned as he shut the door.   


**D&K**

  
** _2013_ **   
** _Late in May._ **

He watched her grab a small red box from her wardrobe and sitting next to him in the bed.

He kept his eyes dancing on her before their gaze met.

''What?'' She asked.

''What, what?''

''What?''

''You tell me.'' He said and raised a hand to cup his chin. ''Let me guess...'' Dick raised a hand in front of her view, spreading it and closing his eyes. ''I do.''

''Oh my god!'' She smirked and patted his hand. ''Don't be silly.''

He giggled and gave her a genuinely curious look. ''What's that?''

''I know we promised not to give each other gifts but I think it's appropriated.'' 

''Totally appropriated. I don't receive a gift for a long while.''

''Stop lying!'' she gave him a little slap on his shoulder. ''I gave you a t-shirt last month.'' 

''Does that count as a gift or...''

''Hey!'' she did a pout. ''I thought you loved that t-shirt. Next time I'm gonna give you some new underwear, you ungrateful bitch.''

He smiled at how cute she looked when she was pissed.

''Bitch?''

''C'mon...''

He waved to the box, inviting her to open it.

''As I said, I know we're not much on this gifting stuff but I thought you might need something more valid than a t-shirt. So I bought you something that might would mean something.'' Kory said as she passed the box to him.

He gave her a quizzical look and opened the box.

''No way.'' He said and looked up to her.

The way he was looking at her sent a shiver down that woman's spine.

''I thought it would mean something to you since you were broken-hearted when you lost the original one.'' She said looking at the wristwatch on his hands. ''I know it's not like the other but at least it looks like.''

He opened his mouth a couple of times but nothing came out of it.

When Dick was 16 Clay gave him a wristwatch that came from his father, he said it was time for him to follow his journey and to pass that on when he had his kids. He never took that off until the one day at the beach, when he lost it. He still had the feeling of loss from that day.

Kory took one more step to him.

''Turn it.'' She demanded.

He spun the gift to look to the bottom of it.

''Kory...''

''Donna told me the exact kind of writing and message, luckily I found the man who made this, I contacted him and he made you another one.''

The thing was expensive, but it was worthy to see his smile open wide like that after a long time.

''Do you know what this writing means? It looks like another language.''

''Yeah, it's about a bird that always finds his way back home.''

''Oh. That's cool.'' She said as she noticed that he was crying.

She rushed to embrace him or her arms in a warm hug.

''Shh..'' She said as she shushed him. ''It's okay, huh? You have something to remember from him now, right?''

''Thank you. It... Means a lot to me.''

''No problem. You deserve it.''

He shook his head.

''Kory?'' He called her and pulled her closer on his lap.

She turned to look at his eyes.

''I bought you a purse.'' He said.

She giggled. ''I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love it too.''

He gently kissed her and they passed the night on each other's arms as usual.

  
** D&K**

** _Present-day._ **

''Don't you want anything?''

''What?'' She asked with her eyes half-opened.

''I'm gonna make a stop in the next opened place to fuel.

''I'm good, Dick.'' 

He made the stop, passing in a food truck and bringing her a pack of french fries and chicken nuggets, putting them closer to her seat. Kory made her way to the establishment's bathroom and came back a couple of minutes later, waiting for Dick in the front door.

He turned the stereo on and kept the focus on the direction. The radio-guy was talking some non-sense stuff that none of them cared to hear.   
Payphone by Maroon 5 started playing right after that.

_I'm at a payphone trying to call home_   
_All of my change I spent on you_   
_Where have the times gone, baby, it's all wrong_   
_Where are the plans we made for two_

Her eyes opened a little to peek him to fell just in the exact time. Kory just embraced herself in a hold to get rid of the cold-ass weather, that seemed to get even colder on that situation.


	2. 003; PAYPHONE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls leave a comment if you can <3  
also i tried to make a bigger chapter this time.  
Hope the wait was worthy.  
xoxo

\---

** _2013_ **

** _July 7th_ **

** **

Kory went out of the district to meet Dick in the garage, where his car was.

''Wow.'' She said as she approached him. ''You look good.''

He smiled. ''You look pretty too,'' Dick said as he grabbed her waist. ''Didn't know about this dress.''

''Donna.'' Kory admitted. ''Didn't have time to shop something new so she did me the favor.''

''You guys are best friends now?''

''Yeah... I kind of stole your friend and I'm not up to share.''

''Okay, ma'am.'' He said as he lifted his hands in the air.

''So where are we going?'' She asked him as she pulled him closer.

He peeked her and received an inquisitive look back. ''I'll make you a surprise.''

''Oh.'' She said as she raised her eyebrow weirdly, thanks to Donna, who impulsed this habit. ''Okay then, Grayson. Take somewhere good.''

They arrived at her favorite place, it had good Italian pasta and her all-time favorite chocolate dessert.

''Are you pretending to sell your lung any sooner?'' She asked him as he ordered the most expensive wine of the menu.

''Huh?''

''Everything here is expensive, it's not our anniversary yet and I don't see a way for us to pay this any sooner.''

''You deserve it.'' He said as he blinked to her.

''Sure.'' She placed a hand in her necklace. ''About today in the morning...''

He sighs and looked at her. ''What about it?''

''Were you planning to tell me something?''

''Yeah.''

''What was that?''

He waved at the waiter to take their order.

Dick popped the bottle and served both of the glasses.

She was waiting for him to answer.

''It was supposed to be a secret, so you can't tell.'' He said.

''Alright.'' She said.

''I just helping Roy to throw a birthday party to Donna on her birthday next week.'' It was technically true, by the way.

She rolled her eyes, drinking half of the liquid of the glass.

''It doesn't explain why you've vanished before I slept.''

''You both are sleepyheads. It would be easier to keep.''

''I wouldn't tell her if you didn't want me to.''

''In my defense, Roy told me not to.'' He confronted.

''What are you both? Ten-year-olds?''

He smiled at that.

They went all smiles the whole dinner and she even convinced him to dance some Marvin Gaye song, which made her burst in laughter because he couldn't dance, anything at all.

He helped her to sit down on her seat as they finished their 'dancing queen balad’

''Holy shit,'' Kory said barely breathing. ''This was the hardest I laughed in my whole life.''

''I think I can agree with that.'' He said, cleaning the crumbs in the table cover.

''But don't you think I'm done with you yet, I want a bit more when I get home.'' She blinked to him with a joky voice.

He couldn't take any longer for this situation, even if it was the worst decision he could take.

''Kory.''

''Yes?''

''We need to talk.''

''Um... I guess we already are talking.''

''Maybe somewhere else?''

''No... I can't even walk with those heels anymore. Guess you gotta use the bride style today.' She chuckled, checking her nails.

''Okay,'' He started with a heavy sigh. ''You know how much you mean to me and you're the person I care the most in the world...''

''Gosh, you get so emo sometimes...''

''Kory I need you to listen to me.''

She almost didn't recognize the tone of his voice at the moment, but she listened.

''I need a break.''

''From the district?'' She asked. ''Thought you already had one last year.''

''No, not from the district.'' He answered. ''From us.''

She smirked. ''What are you talking about?''

''I- I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry.''

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it quickly.

''Tell me this is a joke...''

He tilted his head.

''Why? did I do something wrong?''

''No, there's nothing wrong with you. Nothing at all.''

''Are you seeing someone? Does it explain why you've been vanishing?'' She inquired.

''No, Kory. That's not the reason.''

''What is it, then?''

He didn't say anything.

''Tell me.'' She required.

Yet, no response.

''Are you gonna stay quiet?''

He looked at her up and down but couldn't meet her eyes.

''Ah, Fuck off.'' She said getting up and grabbing her purse. ''I'm done with this place.''

He ran right after her, grabbing her arm. ''Kory!''

She pulled his arms away from her. ''Stay away from me. Better for both of us.'' Kory said as she walked to the car, seating in the backseat towards him. She kept her eyes in the window up to the path.

She didn't crave much for the contact of his body on hers, at the point they got on their place she walked away from him, running to the bathroom. She opened the water sink a couple of times and waited some minutes to take a shower. He stood up with his arms crossed in the living room as he heard the water of the shower shut down.

He got into the bedroom and saw her grab a suitcase on top of the wardrobe, he watched as she pulled each one of her clothes off the closet and dropped them into the suitcase. She also took her jewelry and put them all in a bag, unless the ones he gave her. It was as painful to watch as he thought it would be if only he could make it all work again.

''Can you give me a moment, please?'' She said as she looked to the floor behind him.

He realized that she washed her hair but he couldn't recognize if her eyes were red by the contact of the shampoo or if she was crying, maybe both. He wanted to punch himself in the face for making her pass through all that.

''Sure.'' He said as he made his way to the bathroom, giving her space as he passed in front of her.

Kory took a deep breath as she opened his side of the closet, grabbing the wristwatch she gave him a couple of months before. She pinned the jewel to see the writing in its bottom.

''The bird always makes his way back home.'' She repeated to herself. He was an asshole that certainly didn't deserve all the time she spent on him, or making that work.

She thought back on if she was going to take it back, it wasn't hers to take but somehow she needed to take something from him as he was taking from her. Maybe it was just a way to have a part of him too.

_I've wasted my nights_

_You turned out the lights_

_Now I'm paralyzed_

She took the wristwatch to her backpack and made her way to the living room as she hears the shower shut out.

He walked behind her when she was done with her baggage.

''You can stay, I'll stay on Donna's.'' He put his hands inside of the jeans' pocket. ''Stay how much time you need.''

''No. The place is yours, you should be the one staying.''

''It's not my place, it's our place.''

''Please, stop...''

''It's as mine as it is yours. You can stay.''

''I'd rather be anywhere else but here.''

And he could say for sure that her words were as sharp as a knife. Cutting him deeply.

''Are you sure you don't want to stay on Donna's?''

''No. I can take care of myself.''

''If anything happens...''

''Dick! stop talking!'' She yelled. ''Fuck, you first lie to me and hide the truth, now you wanna play the protective one on me?''

He stayed shut.

''I'm done.'' She said as she threw her keys on the couch behind him.

\---

_Yeah, I, I know it's hard to remember_

_The people we used to be_

_It's even harder to picture_

_That you're not here next to me_

Dick stopped the car and walked out of it without saying a word.

Kory just kept on her side without doing anything. She could hear when he cursed 'fuck' about a hundred of times and walked a little far from where the car was just to sit down on the grass in front of a river, having a better look from the upcoming city.

She walked right back to him then, having some space and sitting by his side.

''It's beautiful isn't it?'' She asked.

''Yeah.''

''You know I used to think about how beautiful it is to go somewhere different, having a fresh start in a place you're just beginning to discover.''

He looked down at his feet.

''But then remembering that not everything necessarily can be changed or replace is...'' She said rolling the ring on her finger. ''Kind of helpless.''

''What's beautiful painting without a great inspiration?''

It was a metaphor.

They didn't seem to care.

''What's a beautiful creation made for after all?'' She inquired. ''To be forgotten? Replaced?''

''Not everything can be replaced.''

''Or forgotten.'' She said as her gaze met his again.

Dick took off his leather black jacket and raised a hand to place it on her shoulders, Kory's breath was caught on her throat as his fingers slid on the crook of her neck.

''Thanks.'' She said and he gave her a shy smile in response.

''Kory...'' He started.

She looked at him.

''May I tell you something?''

''Yes.''

''I've missed you.'' He confessed.

''Dick...''

''I know, I must've said that a dozen times just in the way I look at you but I needed you to know that. I missed you.'' He said and looked up to the river. ''You took me a part of myself I never thought I had, you were the only person I would give my life for and I kicked you out of my life because I was afraid of losing you. I was so afraid to lose you that I became the reason why you left. And you can blame me, hate me and hurt me as much as you want to that I don't think it'll ever make me stop thinking about you.''

He didn't expect her to say or do anything, but he hears was going crazy on his chest in the sense of unknowing.

''I don't want you to leave anymore.''

''Since when?''

He turned to look at her.

''Since what?''

''Since when you were planning to tell me that?''

''Every since the day you left.''

Kory tied up her hair and focused on the view again, barely looking at him.

''If you missed me that much why didn't you make a phone call? I would've stayed.''

''I couldn't.''

She turned to him and smirked disbelief. ''Of course. That's all you're able to say other than sorry, Grayson?''

''No, Kory, and I mean it. I did terrible things, even while we were together and I was just trying to keep you safe. I'd rather lose you for a while than forever.''

''Six years, isn't it?''

He looked down the floor where her hands were standing.

''Have I ever told you how my parents died?''

She tilted her head. No.

Kory wasn't the kind of person that compelled him, to tell the truth, he knew she wouldn't judge him unless he was extremely wrong and thinking unclearly, she never seemed to make him tell.

''I knew they were gone due to the way you never told me about them and never invited me to a visit.'' She said holding her knees. ''But I _do_ know your mother's name is Mari, she seemed to be such a sweetheart.''

He nodded.

''She was.''

''What happened to them?'' Her voice was soft for a moment, she didn't look mad anymore and it reminded him of the times she cupped his chin in her fingers after a long investigation he couldn't get out of his mind.

''Well,'' He sighed heavily. ''They were killed... murdered when I was twelve.''

She didn't say anything.

''I went to live with one of their closest friends from the circus we worked in.''

''Clay?'' Kory asked.

''Yes.''

''He kept me on school and in college back then, he told me that justice was greater than revenge and that someday the truth would show up. I decided to become a detective to rush it for my parent's investigation.''

''What about your sense of justice to the others?''

''That too.'' He confirmed. ''But mainly for that.''

She stood by his side while he spoke.

''I worked hard and then I worked harder, tried to get every single missed file to get to the person who killed them and I did. When I did, something went wrong and he discovered who I was. He knew what I did and what it cost to get to him on my plan.''

''That included...''

''Killing people. Yeah.''

She stared at him in disbelief. It wasn't the person she spent those months with, the one who always had a plan to do everything above the law and safe to the ones he cared about and to the innocents.

''I had to take them off the list. They were just a bunch of criminal assholes.'' He said with a mild smirk.

''That doesn't mean their life didn't matter for someone who wasn't, Dick!'' She reproved. ''What the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you just locked them on the prison when you had the chance?''

He rubbed his hands on his temples.

''I know...''

''It was brainless,'' Kory said and gave a heavy sigh. ''What led you to all that?''

''I don't know. I had it on me since I was a kid, I couldn't let him go without paining for all the bad things he did.'' His eyes were slightly wet.

''Finish it.'' She said.

''When I got to him, as I said, he knew me, that means he knew you too. At the moment I heard your name coming out of his mouth I paralyzed, I felt weak on my knees just in the thought of him getting to you. You and Donna were the only family I had left and I couldn't let that happen again.''

''That's why you haven't told me anything on that night.'' Kory breathed on knowing.

''Yes, I knew you would try to investigate that if I did.''

''Does Donna know?''

He confirmed.

Then there was a comfy silence between them.

''You keep going after him, don't you?'' She asked.

''I do.''

''Will you stop?''

''I can't lie to you.''

She had his guard down, it was nonsense to lie to her at the moment.

She agreed.

''Damn, I was so mad at you. I did everything I could to get you out of my life, I left the city, I quit all of my cases at the CPD and I cut ties with Donna so she wouldn't tell you anything about me. I even changed my hair.' Kory confessed. ''I couldn't take you off my head either.''

''I know I say that often but...''

''It's okay.'' She said.

He has been waiting for years to hear that.

''Are you...?''

''Yeah, I'm sure.'' 

\---

The cold weather of December swept his face with fresh air, his tears drying in the face. At the point, he was crouched holding a bouquet in front of the gray-painted concrete grave. He couldn't make up to the place lately, due to his emotional self-hating, so he decided to call Donna to get the man's friends and family to the ceremony. Now, he was up early on Saturday, holding a half-parched bouquet in front of the grave, praising all the high-entities for forgiveness, because he knew how it all started.

Clay was, in matter of fact, the closest of a parental figure he had since his parents were gone. He received all the love that was necessary to a newly-orphan kid, received a home, food and school till' the moment of his graduation, without the need to work out of the home to get a better amount of money. Clay Williams tried his best to cherish and love that poor little boy, guide him in a good way and build him a life he'd be happy with. He did everything, he was everything.

_Dick was caught-off his** frenesi** by the stop of a black Porsche in the front of the cemetery, the white dust fading in the air. Once he brushed the tears from his eyes again he stood, looking at the person coming out of the car. The black, straight, lengthy hair blossomed through the cold air and embraced the female back, from the place he was standing, he watched as the woman with a long, black coat, walked to his side in a high heel. He could even say her face was brighter this morning._

_As he remembered it used to be when they weren't miles far from one another._

_The woman, carried a rose in one of her hands, the one she placed in the frame next to his sepulture and opened a book she had, on the other hand, turning its pages._

_''Are you okay?'' He asked looking at her now, noticing the golden necklace she wore, the only glossy thing in her clothing._

_Instead of answering, she switched pages and placed the book in front of her face, reading the paragraph out loud._

_“Only a man can see in the face of a woman the girl she was. It is a secret which can be revealed only to a particular man, and, then, only at his insistence. But men have no secrets, except for women, and never grow up in the way women do. It is very much harder, and it takes much longer, for a man to grow up, and he could never do it at all without women.'' Kory sighed and continued back then. ''This is a mystery that can terrify and immobilize a woman, and it is always the key to her deepest distress. She must watch and guide, but he must lead, and he will always appear to be giving far more of his real attention to his comrades than he is giving to her. But that noisy, outward openness of men with each other enables them to deal with the silence and secrecy of women, that silence and secrecy which contains the truth of a man, and releases it.'' She stopped herself before she could finish another sentence, closing the book and lingering her fingers through the white cover. _

_''He gave me this book a couple of months ago,'' She said with a small smile. ''A couple of days after Christmas because he didn't have money to buy me that about time. I read ten pages by far and then gave up on the book, due to my regular working grade.'' Another sigh came from her mouth, this one drier and carrying a bit of sadness she couldn't hold. ''Funny how it all makes sense now.''_

_''Kory...'' He started._

_''You should keep it.'' She said and lifted the book for him to catch, no even looking at his face. It was ripping his heart apart to see that he couldn't even look at him in the eye. _

_''Donna called you?'' He had to ask._

_''Yeah, I was at the funeral too.'' She swept the hair from her forehead by shaking her head a little. ''I know you'd be here.''_

_He pulled the book of her hands and gave her a quick nod. ''He got really good improvement in the last couple of weeks, you know. He even started to drive his bike again and his heartbeats were in a normal frequency.''_

_''I know. I went to see him sometimes.''_

_When I wasn't there. He thought._

_''Kory?''_

_Kory looked at him with a downed look, finally looking at him for so long hits differently, seeing him like this. The rawest exposition of his she has seen in a long time. She took a step closer to him as she observed his head lifting, which meant he wanted to drag his feeling away. But he didn't need that, not this time._

_He couldn't hold it when she placed her warm, soft hands in his shoulders. He let out all the pain he hides for... god knows how long. Kory pulled him closer to her embrace as he buried his face in her neck and cried like a little boy. She passed her hands throughout his long back and whispered promises that he'd be okay this time. _

_Perhaps she was right._

_Maybe._

_They haven't even noticed the rain that started to pour in the top of their heads, he just stayed quiet in her embrace for a long period, wishing I'd last forever._

_''I have to go now.'' She murmured in his ear and freed him from her arms, pulling her coat closer to her body. He could notice her expression changing again. All he wanted was to grab her hands and make it home, he wanted to pass through the highs and lows with her, beside her, breathing her, feeling her. _

_''Okay.'' He answered and walked to his motorcycle, grabbing his helmet. _

_Kory watched as he walked far from her with her hands in the pocket. _

_''Don't be ridiculous.'' She said aloud._

_He looked at her with a frown._

_''Chicago is too far from here, are you considering going there with the sky falling like this?'' She said gesticulating to the sky. _

_His frown only got deeper._

_Kory shook her head. ''Get in the car.''_

_He hesitated to approach her, looking left to right like a deer in the headlights. _

_''I said get in the car, Grayson,'' She said with her eyes half-closed, exasperated. ''Before I change my mind.''_

_-_

** _2013._ **

''So,'' Kory said sitting in the table across the hotel bedroom, typing something in her laptop keyboard. ''What are we watching?''

''The Lion King.'' He said with a shy smile. ''It's my favorite one.'' Gar grabbed the tv controller on his hands, ready to tune in the movie. Kory mouthed a 'huh' and continued her searching in her investigation folder.

''How long?'' Gar questioned.

She turned to him by her chair. ''How long what?''

''You've been looking for me.'' He said. ''How long?''

She snorted, ''Not much, why?''

''Nothing, the Smith's seemed to be running of you somehow.'' Gar yawned, passing his hands slightly on his eyes to keep them wide open.

''Gar, may I ask you something?'' Kory query.

''Yes.''

''What did you lie to me back at the burger shop?''

He stared at her with a frown, pretending he didn't get.

''C'mon, Gar. I saw the way you were looking at the meal and I could track it when you said you enjoyed and that you were satisfied after one tiny little single burger.'' Kory said looking at him. ''If you wanted another option of the menu you could've asked.''

''That's not the reason, Kory.''

''Then what is it?''

''I don't like it, you know, eating animal meat.''

''Oh.'' She opened her mouth and made a silent nod. ''Why did you ask that one, then?''

''Because I thought I had to. It was the one you asked.''

''Yeah, but you didn't have to.'' She assecured.

''Are you mad?'' He asked.

''Of course not,'' Kory replied.

''Why would I?''

''It's just... different, here. With you.''

''Oh,'' She answered with a quick smile. ''Is it?''

''From the bottom? I couldn't do anything out of their league, if I did, the slightly, I would be severally punished. Mr. Smith is a huge, strong, old man, you saw that - he also has strong hands and... you know what.'' He said with a sad push in his lower lip. ''They made us work to them, on the farm. I took care of the animals, because that was, according to Miss Smith, the only thing I could do besides being a burden. Also, when I didn't follow their strings and rules I was made- forced to eat pork for weeks, sometimes even months, because they knew I was emotionally connected to them somehow.'' His eyes couldn't take the tears inside anymore, he let them fall in his crossed tighs. ''I couldn't run from eating meat all the time, I had to because I wasn't special at all. I am still not.''

She closed her eyes, like if she was trying to process what the little boy just said. It was just bestial, hurting someone that didn't do anything but follow their rules and working for them - which wasn't his duty, since he was a FUCKING kid. Kory blinked it away and took off the lid of her coke, taking a sip and gesturing it to Gar, who almost immediately refused to taste, drinking the half-warmth glass of orange juice he ordered to the room services.

''Did they, ever... Hit you hard enough to leave marks in your body?''

Gar sighed a sad smile. ''Always.''

''I have more bruises in my body then I could ever count, they used to hit us with belts and stuff like that - made of leather, but when the social worker got to us they started to hurt us by using scalped electric strings, so when she went back there wouldn't be fingerprints on us.'' He let out a heavy sight, followed by a shrug. ''It worked.''

Kory bites her lower lip, rage crashing through her veins, her blood bubbling and her heart beating at an exaggerated pace. But she couldn't do that here, not now, not with this scared little kid in there.

She needed to protect him, no matter what.

''C'mere'' She mouthed.

The nine-year-old walked to her and sat on her lap as she told him to. She embraced him softly and gave him her hand to catch.

''I'll never let them get to you again, okay?'' She promised, moving small circles through his small fingertips.

He somehow falls asleep on her arms, in the chair, while she was still typing in her laptop. His weight wasn't a problem at all but considering she needed a bit more of space to her research, she'd have to wake him up. ''Gar?'' She called by pricking his arm.

He yawned again, looking at her from his shoulder.

''Move to bed, okay?'' She pleaded. ''I need to get this one thing done. Also, the bed's a way more comfortable than my lap.''

He rushed to the bed and below the covers before she could say another word. She giggled at it.

Her searching hasn't had many triumphs, one hour and a half and she barely found her old files. She knew exactly what she'd have to do, the thought of that made her heart skip a bit. She looked at the clock - it pointed ten at the night hour.

She sighed and took a large sip of her warmth coke, putting the glass bottle in the small woody table.

She moved to the bed and sat in the edge next to Gar, he opened his eyes a bit and flickered.

''I'm gonna go out for a little while, okay?''

''Are you leaving?'' He asked, fear flashing on his eyes.

''Just for an hour, I'll be back before you wake up.'' She assured him, pressing a hand of his cheeks, enjoying how adorable he looked all covered by the blankets.

Kory pressed a kiss on his forehead and was caught by surprise when he did the same thing and sat on the bed to hug her, curling his little arms through her necklace. This is all the encouragement she needed.

He watched attentively as she walked to the door. ''If you need anything just call the woman downstairs by using that phone,'' Kory said pointing to the telephone in the bedside table. ''If you don't figure out how to use it you can just walk it downstairs and call her by yourself. Don't use the elevator, it might crash with you in there - neither leave the building, okay?'' She asked with her eyes wide open.

''Yes, ma'am.'' He said and smiled at her before waving her goodbye.

She took a deep breath before she looked at the small mirror in her rearview. Fuck, when did she get this far?

Think about the boy. Think about the boy. Think about the boy. She whispered to herself.

''Fuck!'' She yelled slamming the steering wheel, resting her arms and head in it. The wristwatch pointed at almost eleven at the night, she promised she'd be back in a rush, so fuck her proud - she had now, more than ever, to swallow it.

He took another deep breath and got out the car, slamming the door behind her. She knocked on the door twice.

''Who's it?'' The man inside the house query.

Fuck.

He's home. Wasn't it supposed to be a good thing?

She flushed quiet.

Before she could give another knock, the person on the other side had already opened the door. Her whole body froze.

''Hey.'' He said in an unsteady tone.

''Hey.'' She replied her voice, unsteady as well. At least she's tried to cover it.

He raised one of his brows.

''Can I...?'' She gestured to the door behind him and he immediately moved to give her space to get in, shutting the door behind him.

The house seemed to be the same as she left, but she could see he has changed one thing: their shelf, now was filled by some advocacy books and a couple of old romances he used to play every weekend. The place used to be the house of their pictures and her books, that she was sure he wouldn't throw in the trashcan, but that he refused to leave there - by the way, 'After you' was still standing in its places in the shelf.

She blinked her thoughts away when she got in the middle of the living room, he stood, watching her moves when he thought she wasn't looking.

''I don't mean to take your time too much,'' She started, bitting the silence. ''I just need you to unlock your laptop's password. I have some files in there I need, I have a Pendrive so it won't take too long.''

He gave her a quick nod and rushed to get the white laptop, which made her almost smile at the memory of him arguing to buy a black-colored one while she insisted to get the red one, their only choice was to take that one home.

They needed to keep their folders in secret, which meant they had to lock their computers with high-security passwords, but she didn't know when they lost each other's confidence at the point of hiding it from one another. He did.

''I never changed it.'' He finally said.

She smirked a bitter ''Of course you didn't.'', sitting in the table where the computer was standing, grabbing the Pendrive in her pocket.

Dick bite his tongue to keep himself together and walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

She watched as he left but never seemed to let him go.

They sighed in unison.

The computer transference estimated 30 minutes left when she decided to go to the kitchen also, pretending he wasn't there. She grabbed a tint wine bottle she stocked a couple of months ago, opening it and pouring it in a fancy glass. He stared at her as he watched the liquid almost overflow the glass.

She drank it in silence, staring anywhere far from where he was standing.

''This is ridiculous, you know?'' He said cutting off the silence. ''Pretending we didn't see each other about a week ago, pretending we didn't-'' She cut him off.

''You weren't the reason I was there.'' She said with an empty gaze. ''I needed to be there to you because it wasn't what he would want, us apart in such a melancholy moment.'' Kory placed the glass in the corner of the balcony before straightening her posture. ''I don't know what we are anymore, Dick.''

He let out an unstable sight when she moved a step closer to the table next to him, sitting in one of its chairs.

''I mean, look at us now, staring at each other as strangers, afraid of getting close, avoiding each other's gaze...'' She walked up closer to him as she felt his eyes burning on her, his jaw locked tight enough it could've torn apart. ''Did it all even mattered a thing to you?'' Kory asked bitterly and gave him a confronting look, inches far from him.

Through the second passed without a response she let out an exasperated and irritated grin, turning and leaving the room, walking to the nearest room far from him.

She walked to their bedroom but didn't turn up the lights, she just closed the door and walked to the lights in the bedroom. She took a look around where the light of the bedroom could flash, the bedside table was decorated by a turned off clock and two framed pictures. One of them had a picture of Kory and Donna and the other one had a picture of them in the beach, Kory smiling and hanging a ''V'' upon Dick's head while he was smiling as well, a bit before she would hold him in front of a toilet while he vomited all the seafood he'd got in that day.

She stared at the barely lightened wall ahead of her, the huge (and expensive) mirror they had in there was gone, she could almost see some glass scattered in the wood of the headboard. She almost giggled at the memory of why they bought that and placed it in there.

She brushed it off her mind and walked to the bedroom, drinking some cold water from the sink. Her heart started to beat unsteady when she heard his footsteps across the bedroom and felt him moving towards her. She glanced away.

He walked the level of the bedroom and shut the door behind them until it was just the both of them in the most silent room a house could have. He watched as her body tensed in rage, he was trained to learn body language, but when it comes to her, he was an expert.

''Can we talk about this?'' He asked after what seemed to pass a minute.

She just glanced away again, staring at the mirror.

Without one more word he moved to behind her, her gaze finding his in the perfectly cleaned mirror.

He wouldn't notice her hands squeezing the marble sink if he wasn't watching her thoroughly, but he did.

He felt her muscles tensioning as he passed his hands in the bottom of her back, tracing her ribs with his thumb. She didn't mean to seem so vulnerable by his touch, it wasn't her plan, not at all. Kory flexed to the other side of the room as she felt him pressing against her and kissing the back of her neck in the progress, she couldn't hold the moan that escaped her lips at the moment.

She turned around to him when he crushed her against the wall, holding her in the place by holding her outer thigh, rubbing the fabric of the black jeans she wore. Their kiss was nothing but starved and deeply greedy. It wasn't soft nor apologetic, it had need and hungriness on it. It wasn't what she wanted, she didn't want one more night in the sheets of somebody who lied to her.

Kory tossed him always from her by pulling his shoulder away gently, bitting the ghosts of his mouth away. He sucked his half-reddened lips and tried to get some air.

''Is it what you need?'' She asked, curling herself in an embrace.

He blinked it always, realizing and considering what she was trying to say. ''No.''

Kory reached to him at a slow pace, raising her hand to cup the side of his face. She rubbed his cheeks and in the ghosts of his beard shaved lately.

''Whatever it is you are working in or with... Whatever it is, I hope it takes you to the right way, to your happiness, you wish you-'' He cut her off by pressing his lips against hers again, brushing some pecks in her neck.

''I...'' He started, tracing kisses through her neck and tucking her hair behind her ear. She stopped both of his actions right when she realized what he was about to say.

''Don't,'' She averted softly and got rid of the hold in their hands. ''You've never said that once, don't pretend you mean it now.''

His gaze met the floor before he could make up for another sentence. She was right.

''I'll just leave.'' She said and rushed to the door beside him, leaving him with the empty silence of the white furniture bathroom.

She grabbed her Pendrive and placed it in her pocket, ready to leave.

''What is it about?'' He queries standing by the doorframe.

''It's a boy, he's...'' She placed the strap of her bag in the shoulder. ''...He was suffering domestic violence and it's my job, you know...'' She said rushing to the door.

''Kory!'' She heard him calling. ''Wait!''

She turned to him one last time.

''I need you.'' He said with a deep, lingering sigh.


End file.
